American Airlines has teamed up with renowned fashion designer Brandon Blackwood to create exclusive travel accessories for their premium cabin passengers. The limited-edition items feature Blackwood’s signature checkered patterns and structured handbag designs.
Blackwood, who is the first Black designer to collaborate with a major airline, is the CEO of his eponymous fashion company based in New York. His brand specializes in handbags and shoes and has a strong celebrity following, including Lupita Nyong’o, Brie Larson, Cardi B, Zoë Kravitz, Solange Knowles, Keke Palmer, and Kim Kardashian. He has also designed custom-made gowns for A-list celebrities like Serena Williams and dressed Beyoncé on her Renaissance tour.
The exclusive amenity kits will be available to premium cabin customers on American’s international and select transcontinental flights until early September. There are three different designs created for different service classes. Flagship First and Flagship Suite Preferred seats will receive a compact version of Blackwood’s trademark Portmore handbag in denim, featuring a structured design and wraparound zip closure. Flagship Business and Flagship Suite passengers will receive a black travel pouch with red zip accents and Blackwood’s recognizable checkered interior pattern. Premium Economy customers will receive kits with the designer’s blue and white checkered pattern on the exterior.
Blackwood shared his excitement about the collaboration, stating, “When this opportunity with American Airlines first came up, I wanted to create designs that were true to my brand and could be used even after the flight. Traveling was a big part of my inspiration for my designs, so it’s a full-circle moment to see my bags on a plane and bring together innovation and creativity.
This collaboration is the latest in American’s series of limited-edition amenity kits. They previously partnered with Raven & Lily in support of Stand Up To Cancer, raising over US$4. 3 million for the organization.
Heather Garboden, American’s chief customer officer, expressed their excitement about working with Blackwood, saying, “Brandon’s bold and fashion-forward designs are a perfect addition to our amenity kit collection, especially as we see our premium customers skewing younger. This is in line with Gen Z’s interest in luxury items and experiences. From the designers we collaborate with to the brands we feature on board, American is committed to giving travelers something new and unique to discover even before they reach their destination.